On December the 13th St. John's had just unexpectedly and convincingly beaten Syracuse by a dozen points at MSG. It was their seventh victory in their first ten games of the season. At 7-3 and non-conference games coming up against Incarnate Word, NJIT and South Carolina before the launching of their Big East season there was hope that the Red Storm might win somewhere between 12 and 16 games this year. That would have been a tremendous accomplishment for a group of players who were hurriedly assembled last spring and summer after Coach Mullin replaced Coach Lavin.
As we know now it did not play out that way. In less than two short months since the Syracuse game St. John's has amassed a fifteen game losing streak and are now 7-18. Starting with the debacle against Incarnate Word it has been a rough go for the Red Storm. Despite the losing streak there have been positive moments for the team. Specifically the two Marquette games and the two games against highly ranked Xavier were very competitive affairs that could have been won by St. John's with a few breaks. Additionally for the most part the team has played with great effort and players that will be part of our success going forward are gaining valuable experience.
That all said I still love going to the games and rooting for these guys. I hope they can pick-up a victory or two before the year is over because the players' and staff's effort and commitment to our team deserves some positive results.
On a comparative note back on December 13th when we were beating Syracuse another locally based team with no history of an NCAA resume at all had just come off their second straight double digit loss the night before. That thirteen point loss to a less than stellar Northeastern squad left the Stony Brook Seawolves with a mediocre 4-4 record. Since that time Stony Brook has won sixteen straight games (the longest winning streak in the nation) and has a 20-4 record. While their schedule in the America East can not be compared to a Big East schedule, it is still a very noteworthy accomplishment for a school who has never made an NCAA tournament.
For perspective it is important to note that losing and winning streaks are just moments in time. Seasons are best judged in hindsight and (like Stony Brook) the value of our season will be written by future events. We have much to be optimistic about: some talented young players, potentially strong recruits coming in and a talented staff who have many of the tools necessary to build a winning program. Years from now when hopefully we return to national prominence we can look at this season in its proper perspective. I hope we can say then that the 2015-2016 season were the first bricks put up in the wall of success!
As we know now it did not play out that way. In less than two short months since the Syracuse game St. John's has amassed a fifteen game losing streak and are now 7-18. Starting with the debacle against Incarnate Word it has been a rough go for the Red Storm. Despite the losing streak there have been positive moments for the team. Specifically the two Marquette games and the two games against highly ranked Xavier were very competitive affairs that could have been won by St. John's with a few breaks. Additionally for the most part the team has played with great effort and players that will be part of our success going forward are gaining valuable experience.
That all said I still love going to the games and rooting for these guys. I hope they can pick-up a victory or two before the year is over because the players' and staff's effort and commitment to our team deserves some positive results.
On a comparative note back on December 13th when we were beating Syracuse another locally based team with no history of an NCAA resume at all had just come off their second straight double digit loss the night before. That thirteen point loss to a less than stellar Northeastern squad left the Stony Brook Seawolves with a mediocre 4-4 record. Since that time Stony Brook has won sixteen straight games (the longest winning streak in the nation) and has a 20-4 record. While their schedule in the America East can not be compared to a Big East schedule, it is still a very noteworthy accomplishment for a school who has never made an NCAA tournament.
For perspective it is important to note that losing and winning streaks are just moments in time. Seasons are best judged in hindsight and (like Stony Brook) the value of our season will be written by future events. We have much to be optimistic about: some talented young players, potentially strong recruits coming in and a talented staff who have many of the tools necessary to build a winning program. Years from now when hopefully we return to national prominence we can look at this season in its proper perspective. I hope we can say then that the 2015-2016 season were the first bricks put up in the wall of success!
